Fence-wire fastener



(No Model.)

J. SPEED, Jr.

FENCE WIRE PASTENER. No. 309,415. Patented De0. 16, 1884.

WITNESSES;

JAMES SPEED, JR, OE W'ORTHINGTON, KENTUCKY.

FENCE WiRE FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,415, dated December 16, 1884.

Application filed April 28, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES SPEED, Jr., of \Vorthington, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in VVireFence Fasten ers, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to fasteners employed in securing the wires of wire fences to the posts; and it consists, generally, of a fastener pointed at one end for driving into the fencepost, and provided with a top projection or shoulder, and a pivoted clamp between which the wire is secured, the object being to furnish a fastener which may be readily driven into the post, and by which the wire may be quickly seized and firmly held,and from which the wire may, whenever desired, be easily and speedily detached.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fastener with the clamp open. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the clamp closed on the wire, and Fig. 3 is a side view of my invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through out the several views.

E is my improved fastener. A is a shoul der against which the wire E is clamped. B is a point which is driven into the post of the fence. (J is a clamp by which the wire E is seized and held against the shoulder A. D is a rivet-headed pin fixed in the fastener F, and on which the clamp C is pivoted. E is a section of fence-wire.

I prefer to construct my improved fastener of wrought or malleable iron, and to give the face of the shoulder A against which the wire is clamped a vertical curve, as shown in the drawings, but do not wish to be con; sidered as limiting myself to those materials, or to such curved face, as other material and a straight face, or one with a different curve, may be employed for the purposes designed. The clamp O is so pivoted with refercnce to the shoulder A that when the free end of the clamp is brought nearest to the shoulder the space between them is less than the diameter of the wire to be clamped.

In practice my improved fastener is driven horizontally into the fence-post at the pointed end B, and with the shoulder A uppermost. The wire E is then stretched and drawn over the fastener at the exterior face of the shoulder A next the clamp C, the free end of which is then forced against the wire E in a direction opposite to that in which the wire is stretched, the effect being that the stronger the reaction or pull-back of the wire when the strain on it is relieved the firmer will be the hold of the clamp on the wire, and'at the same time the least space between the clamp and the shoulder being less than the thickness of the wire, the latter cannot pull loose, but remains firmly held between the shoulderand the clamp. In detaching the wire the clamp O is pushed or knocked open in the direction in which the wire was originally stretched. and the wire E may then at once he lifted off and free from the fastener. wires have been fastened by means of staples driven over them into the posts, or by means of spikes with slotted openings in them for the wires to lie in. These modes are objec tionable. When staples are employed, the posts have to be faced in order to get a level surface for the wires to rest against, which is attended with extra expense, and when it is desired to detach the wires from the posts the staples must be drawn, which is troublesome. The slotted spikes only hold the wires laterally to the posts, and do not secure them lengthwise, but allow them to slip in that direction. My invention overcomes these disadvantages. By means of it the wires are firmly held, both laterally and longitudinally, at the posts. They may be easily and readily detached therefrom, and with my improved fastener it is not necessary to face the posts.

An additional advantage of my improvement is that the clamp may be operated from either side of the fastener, and so be adapted to cases where, in consequence of breakage or slackening of the wires, it may be necessary or desirable to stretch them in the reverse direction from that in which they were first stretched.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A fastener provided with the shoulder A, the point B, and the clamp O, substantially as described.

JAMES SPEED, J R.

WVitn esses:

JAMES W. Bna'rrrn, W. S. MAoRAE.

Heretofore such 

